NGOs were quick to respond to the Budget, too. Here are some of their responses:

“Ireland’s aid budget has now been cut six years in a row, falling by a whopping 34.6% since 2008. The cuts announced in Budget 2014 mean that the world’s poorest people are making a disproportionate contribution to the Government’s austerity programme,” according to Dóchas’ statement.

“Ireland pledged to increase its overseas aid so that it would reach the UN target of spending 0.7 per cent of national income on overseas aid” said Friends of Londiani in a statement.

Focusing on a different aspect of the Budget, Oxfam Ireland said “Budget 2014 is a step in the right direction for a fairer global tax system.”The Dóchas statement also includes a welcome for the announced intention to clamp down on tax evasion, and for the increase in resources for the Garda Vetting Service.

“It is not acceptable that Ireland fails to make progress towards the UN target for ODA. This is especially true while at the same time we are fully repaying bond-holders and financial institutions when their reckless gambling produced its inevitable result and their gambles failed,” said Social Justice Ireland in their detailed analysis of Budget 2014.

“This Government has succeeded in broadly stabilising the budget. While the allocation announced today will reduce our spending on overseas assistance by some 3 per cent compared to last year, it still represents a very significant allocation for Ireland’s aid programme.”